Gates makes Albany go
Sophomore point guard’s passing skills have helped lift the Falcons to back-to-back section crowns
ALBANY— If you want to make Azera Gates happy on a basketball court, simply find a way to get open. Accomplishing that task is going to spring Gates, Albany’s sophomore point guard, directly into action and opponents pay the price.
Friday night in the Section II Class AA championship game against top-seeded Bethlehem, Gates delivered a brilliant pass from halfcourt to teammate Shonyae Edmonds, who scored against two defenders to bring the crowd at Hudson Valley Community College’s Mcdonough Sports Complex to its feet. It was the most spectacular of six assists Gates produced in a 57-49 title victory as the Falcons claimed back-to-back championships.
“I love seeing my team score,” Gates said. “Just getting the ball to them: that’s my job to do. When you score a bucket and you look in the crowd and see everyone is going crazy, that makes us go even more.”
“That is her natural thing. She does that in practice all the time,” Albany coach Decky Lawson said. “She is always team-first. She is more excited making that pass than making a basket herself. She is always looking to get it to the person that is open. She is rarely selfish ever and that is the kind of kid she is. Azera cares how her teammates feel about her and let’s them know ‘if you are open, you are getting the ball.’ She is a distributor.”
Gates, who began her varsity career as a seventh grader, earned her second straight Class AA All-tournament selection after producing 10 points, six assists and five rebounds in the title triumph. The next order
of business for Gates and the Falcons (20-3) is a state quarterfinal contest Saturday at SRC Arena against Section III champion Liverpool (20-3), a team Albany defeated 79-63 Dec. 27 at the Amsterdam Holiday College Showcase.
“During the regular season, it is fun and all to win. It really matters during playoffs. One loss and you are out, so we take that really serious,” Gates said. “We are just happy that we won (against Bethlehem).”
Gates was quick to point out the earlier win against Liverpool means nothing now. Albany lost twice during Suburban Council play against Colonie and Bethlehem, avenging those defeats during the sectional semifinals and title game.
“They are going to be coming at us hard,” Gates said of Liverpool. “As long as we play defense, we can win the game.”
Lawson has coached Gates since she was in the fourth grade. He saw something special in her, enough to elevate her to the varsity level in seventh grade.
“I knew she was ready because she had the heart and the passion for the game,” Lawson said. “When I did pull her up, some of our upperclassmen noticed we were better when she was in the game. They wanted her to be on the floor.”
“It was really exciting for me being that young and playing with a lot of good players,” Gates said. “Really my job in practice was to make them better, work them as hard as I can.”
Gates, a tough-as-nails competitor, served in her role well. Once she arrived in high school, she has been the team’s starting point guard. The 5-foot-5 lefty is a deft passer who is also adept at scoring in traffic against taller defenders. This season, Gates is averaging 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
“I really don’t care about scoring. As long as my teammates are scoring and we are winning the game, that is all that matters,” Gates said.
Colonie coach Heather Dibiase knows something about being a point guard as she earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors in 1997 playing that position for Canisius College. She appreciates the way Gates handles her position.
“She is a great point guard,” Dibiase said. “She has the ability to score, but I think she has the mentality of a point guard where she is going to create and get the ball to the team. Obviously, we had a very hard time stopping her (in a 77-68 semifinal loss) and her getting to the basket opens up so much for them. Her ability to get to the basket sets her apart from other people.”
During her freshman season, Gates played in four games in four days as Albany played both in the Amsterdam Holiday College Showcase and the Impact Center Holiday Showcase. The experience gained by Gates in that scenario, with the Falcons short-handed, elevated her game.
“At that point, we didn’t have a lot of people on the team,” Lawson said. “She knew she had to step up for her teammates. She has played high-level AAU basketball traveling all around the country. She is a student of the game, looking at what people are doing well and trying to help them.
“She is a real quiet girl. She doesn’t show up by talking, she shows with her actions. She comes to practice and works her tail off every day. I taught her at a young age that you want to be first in everything you are doing.”